Boston — For the fifth consecutive election cycle, voters in select State Representative districts delivered overwhelming victories on marijuana reform Public Policy Questions. Activists from DPFMA and MassCann/NORML placed the four local initiatives that ask state legislators to allow medical marijuana use by seriously ill patients. The PPQs were approved by over 70% in a landslide victory along with the 65% approval margin for the binding, statewide Decriminalization initiative.

The PPQs asked voters in 15 towns: “Shall the State Representative from this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation that would allow seriously ill patients, with their doctor’s written recommendation, to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for their personal medical use?”

Election Results (see below for detailed results)

1^st Middlesex Representative Robert S. Hargraves - Ayer, Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell, and Townsend:

WIN 73% to 27%

13^th Norfolk Representative Lida E. Harkins – Medfield, Needham, and precincts 1 and 2 of Dover:

WIN 73% to 27%

21^st Middlesex Representative Charles A. Murphy – Bedford, Burlington, precinct 3 of Wilmington:

WIN 71% to 29%

6^th Plymouth Representative Daniel K. Webster – Hanson, Pembroke, precincts 2,3,4,5 of Duxbury, precinct 2 of Halifax:

WIN 71% to 29%

Since 2000 Massachusetts voters have passed 45 marijuana reform PPQs by a wide margin, 69% yes for medical marijuana and 62% for decriminalization (see below for map). Unanimous PPQ support for decrim led to Question 2 in 2008; yesterday Massachusetts voters approved decriminalization by 65%.

DPFMA urges the state legislature to pass H.2247, “An Act to Regulate the Medical Use of Marijuana by Patients Approved by Physicians and Certified by the Department of Public Health” sponsored by Rep. Frank Smizik. Currently twelve states including Vermont, Rhode Island, and Maine have passed similar legislation to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and imprisonment. Suffering patients in Massachusetts should not have to wait for another ballot initiative for relief.

In January 2008 the American College of Physicians released a landmark position paper endorsing full legal protection for medical marijuana patients. (report available at http://www.acponline.org/acp_news/medmarinews.htm) The ACP represents 124,000 member doctors and is the second largest physician group in the US.

Election Results - November 2008

Public Policy Question – Allow physician-approved medical marijuana

“Shall the state representative from this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation that would allow seriously ill patients, with their doctor's written recommendation, to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for their personal medical use?”

1^st Middlesex Representative District (R – Robert S. Hargraves)

Town	Yes	No	Total Votes	Yes %
Ayer	2,289	847	3,136	73%
Dunstable	1,032	443	1,475	70%
Groton	4,293	1,333	5,626	76%
Pepperell	4,353	1,506	5,859	74%
Townsend	3,418	1,289	4,707	73%
District Total	15,385	5,418	20,803	74%

21^st Middlesex Representative District (D – Charles A. Murphy)

Town	Yes	No	Total Votes	Yes %
Bedford	5,033	1,678	6,711	75%
Burlington	7,863	3,667	11,530	68%
Wilmington	1,250	563	1,813	69%
District Total	14,146	5,908	20,054	71%

13^th Norfolk Representative District (D – Lida E. Harkins)

Town	Yes	No	Total Votes	Yes %
Dover	2,268	849	3,117	73%
Medfield	2,373	863	3,236	73%
Needham	11,709	4,406	16,115	73%
District Total	16,350	6,118	22,468	73%

6^th Plymouth Representative District (R – Daniel K. Webster)

Town	Yes	No	Total Votes	Yes %
Duxbury	4,186	1,612	5,798	72%
Halifax	1,280	467	1,747	73%
Hanson	3,513	1,509	5,022	70%
Pembroke	6,270	2,561	8,831	71%
District Total	15,249	6,149	21,398	71%

Drug Policy Forum of Massachusetts Endorses Question 2

Four Medical Marijuana Public Policy Questions also on ballot

Boston — DPFMA endorses Marijuana Decriminalization and urges Massachusetts citizens to “Vote Yes on 2”. By creating a uniform and consistent penalty of a $100 civil fine, this reform keeps marijuana possession illegal but removes many of the pernicious consequences of criminal arrest. The current law disrupts the lives of productive members of society by causing a lifelong criminal arrest record, loss of driver’s license, loss of scholarship funds and ineligibility for many jobs.

The issue of decriminalizing marijuana possession has a substantial track record of support within the Commonwealth. Voters have voiced their support by approving 24 decrim. Public Policy Questions since 2000 by an average of 62% (see attached map). At the State House, the Joint Committee for Mental Health and Substance Abuse has approved Senate bill S.1121 in the last two legislative sessions.

Also for the 2008 election, activists from DPFMA and MassCann/NORML have placed four Public Policy Questions in State Representative districts concerning the medicinal use of marijuana. Voters in 15 towns will be able to decide the following ballot question: “Shall the State Representative from this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation that would allow seriously ill patients, with their doctor’s written recommendation, to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for their personal medical use?”

1^st Middlesex Representative Robert S. Hargraves Question 4 – Towns of Ayer, Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell, and Townsend.

13^th Norfolk Representative Lida E. Harkins Question 4 – Medfield, Needham, and precincts 1 and 2 of Dover. (The PPQ will appear as Question 5 in Needham)

21^st Middlesex Representative Charles A. Murphy Question 4– Bedford, Burlington, precinct 3 of Wilmington.

6^th Plymouth Representative Daniel K. Webster Question 4– Hanson, Pembroke, precincts 2,3,4,5 of Duxbury, precinct 2 of Halifax.

Since 2000 Massachusetts voters have passed 41 marijuana reform PPQs by a wide margin, 68% yes for medical marijuana and 62% for decriminalization. Currently twelve states including Vermont, Rhode Island, and Maine have passed similar legislation to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and imprisonment.

Boston — Drug Policy Forum of Massachusetts announces that, for the 5^th consecutive election cycle, Massachusetts citizens will vote on marijuana reform Public Policy Questions. Since 2000, voters in over 125 towns representing one-third of the Commonwealth have voted overwhelmingly in favor of marijuana reform (see below for complete election results).

For the 2008 election, activists from DPFMA and MassCann/NORML have placed four Public Policy Questions in State Representative districts concerning the medicinal use of marijuana. Voters in 15 towns will be able to decide the following ballot question: “Shall the State Representative from this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation that would allow seriously ill patients, with their doctor’s written recommendation, to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for their personal medical use?”

1^st Middlesex Representative Robert S. Hargraves Question 4 – Towns of Ayer, Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell, and Townsend. Representative Hargraves sits on the Joint Committee on Public Health in the State Legislature.

13^th Norfolk Representative Lida E. Harkins Question 4 – Medfield, Needham, and precincts 1 and 2 of Dover. Representative Harkins is the Majority Whip in the House of Representatives. This PPQ will appear as Question 5 in the town of Needham.

21^st Middlesex Representative Charles A. Murphy Question 4– Bedford, Burlington, precinct 3 of Wilmington. Representative Murphy is serving his sixth term in the State Legislature.

6^th Plymouth Representative Daniel K. Webster Question 4– Hanson, Pembroke, precincts 2,3,4,5 of Duxbury, precinct 2 of Halifax. Representative Webster sits on the Legislature's Joint Committee on the Judiciary.

The towns of Medfield, Needham, and Hanson are within the Congressional district of Stephen Lynch, the only Mass. Congressman currently opposed to laws that protect legitimate medical marijuana patients at the federal level.

In January 2008 the American College of Physicians released a landmark position paper endorsing full legal protection for medical marijuana patients. The ACP represents 124,000 member doctors and is the second largest physician group in the US. The ACP report is available at:

Since 2000 Massachusetts voters have passed 41 marijuana reform PPQs by a wide margin, 68% yes for medical marijuana and 62% for decriminalization. This year all Massachusetts voters will also vote on Question 2, a binding referendum that will make simple possession a civil offense with $100 fine.

DPFMA has been working with the state legislature to pass H.2247, “An Act to Regulate the Medical Use of Marijuana by Patients Approved by Physicians and Certified by the Department of Public Health” sponsored by Representative Frank Smizik. Currently twelve states including Vermont, Rhode Island, and Maine have passed similar legislation to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and imprisonment. Here in Masschusetts, H.2247 is currently being considered by the Legislature's Joint Committee on Public Health.

Total votes: Yes – 484,220; No – 276,875; yes/no ratio across the state as a whole - 64%. (For reference, about 1.2 million people voted for Governor Patrick.)

Shall the (Representative or Senator) from this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation...

(1)... that would allow seriously ill patients, with their doctor's written recommendation, to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for their personal Medical use?

(2)... making possession of marijuana a civil violation, like a traffic ticket instead of a criminal offense, and requiring police to hold a person under 18 cited for possession until the person is released to a parent or legal guardian or brought before a judge?

(3)... that would make possession of less than one ounce of marijuana a civil violation, subject to a maximum fine of $100 and not subject to any criminal penalties?

(4)... that would allow the state to regulate the taxation, manufacture and sale of marijuana to adults 21 and older provided that outlets are state licensed, do not sell alcohol, and are not within 500 yards of a school?

(5)... that would allow patients with certain diseases, who have a written doctor's recommendation, to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana for their personal use, until such time as the federal government puts into place an effective distribution system for these patients?

(6)... that would make possession of less than one ounce of marijuana a civil violation, subject to a maximum fine of $100 and not subject to any criminal penalties?

(7)... that would allow licensed farmers in Massachusetts to grow cannabis hemp (a crop containing 1% or less THC, the active ingredient in marijuana) for legitimate agricultural and industrial purposes?

(8)... that would make the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana a civil violation, subject to a fine of no more than $100.00. The effect of this proposed legislation would be to amend existing law by repealing all criminal penalties for possession of less than one ounce of marijuana.

(9) “Shall the following proposal be passed? In affirmation and expansion of the Amherst Town Meeting vote of May 12, 1976 [Article 52, Part 2], we urge the members of the Select Board, and the Town Manager, to persuade our State Representative, State Senator, U.S. Representative, and U.S. Senators to repeal the prohibition of marijuana; and, in the interim, before repeal has been effected, we urge the Amherst Police Department to deprioritize the enforcement of laws covering the possession of marijuana against persons over the age of eighteen.”